Exercise is a great way to fight osteoporosis early in life.  Believe it or not, exercise is critical for the prevention of weak bones and, besides its other positives, this is just another reason why exercise should be a daily part of your routine.  Any weight-bearing exercise is particularly good for osteoporosis, such as weight training, running, or other high-impact sports and activities.  While you have probably heard that running is hard on the knees or hips, in reality your bones are getting stronger the longer one continues this type of activity.  The striking and impact of your foot on the pavement or hard ground actually works to harden the bones to breakage over time.

Weight training is another very popular exercise that is good in preventing osteoporosis.  Weight training has become increasingly more popular over the years, and gym memberships have risen drastically as men, women and children alike can now be found lifting weights for good health.  Weight training also helps to increase bone density, as well as improve your posture, improve your mood, and many report an improvement in self-confidence.

Other than exercise, you can help prevent osteoporosis with certain supplements.  Some of the most common supplements for the prevention of osteoporosis are calcium and vitamin D.  Most people are aware that calcium is important for strong bones and teeth.  They hear it on commercials and their parents tell them from the time they are little to drink their milk. However, most people probably do not take it as seriously as they should.  It really is a good idea to supplement with calcium every day to help prevent osteoporosis down the road.  Calcium supports bone density and bone healing.

While it is true that milk and other dairy products are a good source of calcium, you may not be getting all the calcium you need from these sources.  If you are a vegetarian or vegan especially, who does not consume any dairy products, it is especially important for you to take a calcium supplement.  Broccoli and fortified orange juice contain good amounts of calcium, but you probably cannot stomach enough broccoli to make it worthwhile.

Vitamin D occurs naturally with sunshine, so getting your exercise outdoors can help provide you with the vitamin D you need.  Remember to wear your sunscreen, of course. While outside activity in the sun can be a wonderful and fun source of Vitamin D, you will likely not get enough of it without supplementation.  Some areas of the country are sunnier than others, and then there are the winter months to consider when people tend to stay indoors more often.  With the amount of Vitamin D supplements available, it can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.

In keeping up with your protein consumption, and also increasing your Vitamin C and Vitamin K intake, you can also help keep your bones stronger and prevent osteoporosis.  Again, you can do this by supplementing if you are uncertain as to whether your diet provides sufficient amounts of these important vitamins.

A supplement called glucosamine chondroitin, which is actually two supplements generally sold in a compound as one, is very helpful with joint pain associated with age and increased activity level.  While not directly helpful for the prevention of osteoporosis, it is used to treat osteoarthritis.  You may want to consider adding this supplement to help prevent the aches and pains that sometimes occur in your bones as you age and try to maintain the same level of activity and fitness.

Supplementing with these vitamins, minerals, and aminos can be very beneficial when used in combination with a healthy lifestyle and diet.  Make sure to keep your alcohol consumption in moderation for healthy bones as well as cut out any smoking habit you may have, since smoking and heavy drinking both increase the risk of osteoporosis.  Follow these simple rules and you will increase your chances of having strong, healthy bones for life.

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Siri Datta is a Kundalini Yoga Teacher and Raw Food Researcher and Nutritionalist, who specialises in inspiring others to re-claim their vitality and super health.She is also the author of Open your Heart with Kundalini Yoga and co-creator of Mini Size Me.

“All fruits bright and beautiful, all veggies wild and raw!

All people wise and wonderful, the Lord God made us all”

Excuse me while I just burst into song, on a cold and bright February morning as I begin a new wild and exuberant nutritional advice column for Kindred Spirit.

So, welcome everybody, in all your shapes and sizes, various levels of fitness and stiffness, from the young to the old. This column includes all supreme health fanatics who are looking to reach the next level, and also welcome to those who are just beginning to step onto the Super health ladder for the first time.

So what’s in store for us all then?

Every month I am inviting readers to participate in the Q&A arena, to bring all their nutritional questions to the table. Alongside the Q&A, I will be writing about my latest findings in the playground of Raw Food, Supreme Health, Wonder Foods and Immortal Elixirs. Lets face it, my covers blown, OK I admit it – yes I am searching for the Fountain of Youth! I know it exists, whether it really is a Sacred Fountain that pours forth the waters of immortality, or whether it is an alchemical recipe that we ingest that simply restores us at a cellular level back into the youngsters we all really are. But I am not secretive about it, trust me when I discover it, you will be the first to know. So lets dive straight in.

Q: Immune Boost

I have just been knocked out by a bout of flu – severe headaches and fever, and chills. Last winter I was laid low by a six-week chest infection. Do you have any tips for bouncing back after a heavy cold, or flu – or better still any way to avoid them in the first place!

A: lets tackle this question in two parts:

* Bouncing back after a heavy cold/flu

In my findings it is clear that energy creates energy. To bounce back, you will need to create some energy and invest it back into your cells. So I would suggest some moderate to medium exercise. Something like cycling, a low-impact aerobic class or even a strong outdoors walk that challenges your heart. We need to get your blood and lymph moving around the body with a strong current, to push out any remaining toxins that might be lingering in the blood stream and body tissues. You will have the most energy either first thing in the morning or at lunchtime; forget the evening, that time and space is for the investment, after 7pm, that is now known as “Healing Time”.

* Advice to avoid colds alltogether

As the winter months roll in a daily tea of Lemon, Ginger, Maple syrup and a generous pinch of Cayenne Pepper, will really keep your Immune System up to par. It’s also worth experimenting with a Wonder Food called Camu Camu; it is reputed to have the highest natural source of Vitamin C on the planet. It is a superb elixir as a preventative medicine against colds/flu, as well as being a supreme anti-aging, anti-oxidant mineral. Recommended dosage of Camu Camu is 1/2 teaspoon 2-4 times a day.

Q: Energy Release

After a stressful few months, I seem to be running on empty. What supplements could I take to help give me sustained energy and stamina?

A: It has to be Maca! What a discovery! Maca is a Peruvian root, which brings a consistent increase in energy, all day long. Not only that, but Maca is wonderful for correcting all hormonal imbalances, and excellent for women going through the menopause. I cannot sing its praises loud enough, as Maca additionally increases libido and general over-all passion in life, not just in the bedroom.

Recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon a day, not in the evening, as you may find it difficult to sleep.

Q: Sunny Side Up

When I’m tired I get irritable and life looses its pure joy. I know it’s asking for miracles, but is there a pure joy food?

A: Of Course! Pure natural Cacao Beans. These guys are miracles all right! They will pull you out of depression, again massively boost energy levels, change the chemistry in your brain to release Serotoxin and Tryptophan, which means, happiness, lightness and aliveness. Go get em! If these reasons haven’t got you rushing onto the Internet, then here is another worthwhile reason; Cacao also lowers your appetite and dissolves your cravings for sugar and carbohydrates, while boosting your metabolism.

Recommended dosage 1 teaspoon a day, again, not in the evening as it is a stimulant.

Q: Radiant Skin

During the winter months, because of the central heating and not being outdoors much, my skin has become very dry and deathly pale. What can I do to re-hydrate and enliven my skin again?

When it comes to deathly pale and dull skin, I will always suggest MSM. Wow, this stuff is amazing for the skin, hair, nails and bones of the body. Methyl-sulfonyl-methane is an organic form of sulphur that appears in all living organisms. MSM will encourage and glorify the “light” coming out of your skin. You simply glow on MSM. You skin becomes softer and has the appearance of moisture and a dewy tone. Your hair grows longer and thicker, so do your nails. Scars fade, joint flexibility returns, bodily aches and pains cease and you rebuild new tissue within your body in half the time.

Recommended dosage, 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon a day. Start off with a small amount and slowly increase as your body begins to adapt.

All these super foods products are available at www.minisizeme.co.uk

Or you can telephone 01935 423466.

or email minisizeme23@yahoo.co.uk

Article written by Siri Datta of www.minisizeme.co.uk

Technorati Tags: Anti-aging, Cleanisng Programmes, Detox Diets, Healthy Eating, Healthy Nutrition, Living Foods, Organic Food, Raw Food Nutrition, Veganism, Vegetarianism, Weight Loss

By Siridatta www.minisizeme.co.uk

Superfoods & Raw Chocolate?So lets summarise the journey so far: October’s issue we discussed Why to embark on a Raw food lifestyle, where in November’s issue we looked at How to begin and stay with the programme and this issue will reveal some secrets and very exciting wild ideas.In this chapter we will pull back the covers on Longevity and the concept of immortality and siddis’ (super human powers) that develop through this exciting lifestyle.Raw ChocolateAccording to popular research, chocolate is the number one food craved by women.  The worldwide chocolate consumption rate increases 3-4% every year!   Western culture has fallen in love with this amazing substance.  But do we really know why?Chocolate originates from the pure energy of the cacao bean, also known as ‘the food of the gods”.  All chocolate is made from cacao, the seed of the fruit of an Amazonian jungle tree!I invite you to discover, naked chocolate, an entirely new raw experience, true chocolate with all its psychoactive properties, nutrition and brain activators intact, without the heating process!Its time for a Revolution.  First the facts:• Cacao beans were first used as money with the Aztecs and Mayans.• Cacao is one of nature’s super foods, with amazing properties that are destroyed with cooking.• Cacao contains over 300 chemically identifiable compounds• Cacao is remarkably rich in magnesium, which is supportive to the heart, builds strong bones and is associated with happiness• It is the richest source of antioxidants on the planet• Cacao releases the bliss chemical, called Anandamide• Cacao release’s Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO), youthening and rejuvenation chemistry. • Cacao is nature’s anti-depressant. • Cacao lowers cravings for over-eating• The more you eat, the more you loose weight• Cacao is a natural laxative• Cacao soothes PMS symptoms• Cacao is a natural muscle relaxanatWell, after that list do I need to say any more?  Maybe perhaps these words from James Wadsworth, A Curious History of the Nature and Quality of Chocolate sums it up:“Twill make Old women Young and Fresh;Create New motions of the Flesh;And cause them to long for you know what;If they but taste of chocolate;I have a great friend called Laksmi, who has been experimenting with raw chocolate over the summer. In fact he has only been eating chocolate throughout his entire diet, and he looks amazing. Every day he looks fresher and more vibrant.  So, as if I needed any more excuses I decided to embark on the same “experiment”.  How awful eh?   So in the name of science, I am on a raw chocolate fast, and to date I have experienced vast amounts of energy, in both my body and mind.  Absolutely fresher and more youthful skin and eyes, less sleep is needed and my appetite has been reduced dramatically.  But not my appetite for life, in fact that has trebled.  Not to mention my appetite for lovemaking!!! Well, that has gone out the top of the roof!Growl… Wake UP AND ROAR!!!!!!A Final thought“If we could sniff or swallow something that would, for five or six hours each day, abolish out solitude as individuals, atone with us our fellows in a glowing exultation of affection and make life in all its aspects seem only worth living, but divinely beautiful and significant, and if this heavenly world transforming drug were of such a kind that we could wake up the next morning with a clear head and an undamaged constitution – then, it seems to me, all our problems would be wholly solved and the earth would become paradise”.Aldous Huxley (1894 – 1963)Other SuperfoodsWhat’s this entire craze about superfoods?  Bee pollen, Maca, Cacao, Goji Berries etc….  To the virgin raw fooder these new products can seem daunting and confusing. So lets look at my favourites one at a time and list their properties and my experiences with them.Bee PollenBee pollen is the pollen produced by flowers that honeybees gather and bring back to the hive. Bee pollen is an alkaline food considered by nutritionalists to be the most complete food in nature. Bee pollen is a super rich source of protein and contains all the essential amino acids. This makes it a great strength builder and brain food.  It is also extraordinary rich in most of the B vitamins, including folic acid.  Bee Pollen contains over 5000 enzymes. I recommended one tablespoon per day.Here are some of the benefits of Bee Pollen:• Increases energy and stamina• Increased muscle growth and definition• Builds the immune system• Has anti oxidant activity• Enhances sexuality and fertility• Smoothes wrinklesMacaMaca is the greatest superfood coming out of Peru. I Love it!!!!Maca is a radish type root, which is generally sold in its dried, powered form.This incredible superfood has been used as an immunostimulant, for anaemia, to stop bone mineral loss, enhance memory, fight stomach cancer, as well as to alleviate depression, menstrual disorders, menopause symptoms, sterility and other reproductive and sexual disorders. Maca increases overall vigour – especially sexual stamina and appetite.  It brings you gusto, hardiness, strength and staying power, and that is not just in the bedroom!   Its rocket fuel, with a slow steady release with no energy come down later in the day. I recommend one tablespoon per day.Wolfberries (sometimes known as Goji Berries)It sis said in China that eating one handful of Wolfberries will make one happy for the entire day.  In fact the Chinese hold a strong belief that human life might be extended significantly by eating these berries. Ginseng is considered too strong for continuous use, where as the wolfberry is such milder, with no known risk of continuous use.Benefits of Wolfberries:• Leads to a long, vigorous and happy life• Will promote happiness and brighten the spirit• Maintains a healthy immune system• Improves eye sight• Improves hearing• Supports healthy liver functioning• Maintains healthy blood pressure• Supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels• Replenishes vital essence and bone marrow• Strengthens bones and tendonsWolfberries contain 18 kinds of amino acids.  They contain Leucine, an essential amino acid that we no not make in our bodies, so we can only get it from our diet.  Wolfberries are rich in 21 trace minerals of which the main ones are Zinc, iron, copper, calcium, germanium, selenium and prosperous.These berries provide the key nutritional support for children in their early growth and formative years.  I recommend a handful per day.So my fellow, Supermortal Immortalists I invite you to try a 40 day experiment…. 40 days of 100% Raw Food, daily superfoods, especially the raw chocolate, massive amounts of pure filtered water, daily exercise to the point of 20 minutes of sweating and then to report back to me with your findings.Warning:  Eating Cacao beans may cause you to have THE BEST DAY EVER!  David Wolf“The Superiority of chocolate for health and nourishment will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America that it has in Spain”Thomas JeffersonPlease email your reports to Siri Datta at jeshoua33@aol.comSiri Datta and Dunkan are running a Spectacular Wake up and Roar Detox Retreat at Gaunts House, Dorset in Jan 2009.  Expect Chocolate, Kundalini Yoga, Superfoods, Laughter, Pilgrims Washes and Massive amounts of inspiration to continue going beyond your own expectations of your self…Siri Datta can be contacted on jeshoua33@aol.com as well as 07966 451 292Her website is www.anaharta.com and also www.siridatta.co.ukContact her for the 2008/09 Wake up and Roar! Programme.  She is also running the popular “Mini Size Me!” massive weight loss programme….Nine out of ten people love chocolate. The tenth person always lies.”  John Q. Tullius

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Consider this: until the most recent times, grains were the staple diet, while meat was a luxury reserved for the wealthy few. However, today, in our affluent society, we use grain to fatten the cattle stock! Many critics say this is a wasteful uses of resources, as it takes less grain to feed a person directly than it takes to fatten animals to feed that person. More and more of our population has become vegetarian not only for the reason mentioned above, the reason being that vegetarians are less likely to be obese or have heart or kidney disease and/or diabetes. it is a known fact that vegetarians have lower blood pressure, and much fewer incidents of digestive tract diseases. As well, vegetarians healthy recipes are a more economical use of the earth’s resources.

Consider this: on the whole Americans consume about twice the amount of protein required, and medical experts warn that we are paying for our high meat consumption, and animal fats as well, through record rates of strokes, heart disease and certain cancers and other disorders. Of course, there are many non-believers.

Healthy Vegetarian recipes must combine grains, seeds and legumes in order to get the amount of protein they need with all the essential amino acids. There are numerous amounts of healthy vegetarian recipes. Some examples of these are;

rice and beans, bean-vegetable chili served with tortillas, baked beans and corn bread, hummus, cheese rolled in chopped nuts, bread sticks with sesame seeds, macaroni and cheese, and split pea soup. These are complimentary proteins. A healthy vegetarian diet must contain enough iron as the iron from plant sources serves only 1/4 as much as meat does. Every healthy vegetarian recipe should include a high amount of Vitamin C as the Vitamin C helps the to promote iron absorption. Good food high in Vitamin C are citrus fruits, potatoes, cruciferous vegetables, peppers melons and strawberries. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption and is contained in the foods egg yolks, fortified milk and fatty fish. Also, exposure to sunlight enables the body to manufacture Vitamin D.

Healthy vegan or have a much more difficult time in consuming enough calories without supplements. Vegan and fruitarians must consume large amounts of nut butters, dried fruits and breads just to maintain their weight.

The facts remain – eating healthy vegetarian recipes has many health benefits, one of which being the avoidance of OBESITY – the reason being their healthy vegetarian recipes are bulky, filling, high in fiber, low in fat and therefore, low in calories. Studies have shown that a cholesterol free plant based diet is also low in saturated fats and can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. Healthy vegetarian recipes also have proved to show less osteoporosis, kidney stones, gallstones, and adult-onset diabetes.

Having read the above information, which would you choose? Healthy Vegetarian Recipes?

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Cabbage has been known throughout the ages, both for its nutritional values, and for its medicinal values. It has recently become recognized that it can reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer (such as colon cancer and breast cancer).

Nutritional Facts:

Following is a short listing of the nutritional facts of cabbage:

- Cabbage helps to promote weight loss in some people. This is because of its content of Vitamin C, which helps burn fat, as well as of Vitamin B, which increases metabolism and thereby helps the body burn off fat.

- If one is looking for ingredients of a low calorie diet, cabbage is at the top of the list. One cup of cabbage only holds about 15 calories. It is definitely a weight-loss food.

- Vitamin A Content: Cabbage is a source of Vitamin A which your body needs for healthy skin and eyes.

- Vitamin C Content: Due to its relatively high amount of Vitamin C, cabbage helps boost the Immune System, as well as assisting in removing toxics from the body, and playing a role in burning fat.

- Vitamin E Content: Vitamin E is known for keeping the skin healthy, as well as for assisting oxygen uptake of the blood cells. Having sufficient amounts of Vitamin E in one’s body helps to reduce acne.

- Vitamin B: An essential vitamin for your nerve system, also known to assist in reducing stress and in boosting metabolism.

- Drinking juiced cabbage is known to assist in curing stomach and intestinal ulcers.

- Cabbage is even known to help keep your skin in a healthy condition, due to its vitamin E content.

- It contains quantities of fiber and iron, which help to keep the digestive tract and colon in a healthy condition.

This is by no means a complete list of all the benefits of cabbage. It serves to give you a general outline.

In earlier times, the ashes of burnt cabbage leaves were a key ingredient in disinfectant ointments. These days, commercial disinfectants are widely available, so one need not go through motions of burning cabbage in order to disinfect a small cut. The primary benefit of cabbage in modern times comes when it is simply made part of one’s diet. Special diets exist which are based on cabbage.

There are many different varieties of cabbage. Green Cabbage and Red Cabbage are the most common, and are the types we are most familiar with.

Other types include Savoy Cabbage, Bok Choy cabbage, and Nappa cabbage (which are used in many Asian dishes, but are equally useful within other recipes).

Does this mean one should switch to a diet of eating only cabbage? Of course not. There are many more vegetables with equally important nutritional ingredients.

But it including cabbage in one’s diet on a regular basis can be beneficial health, weight loss, and well-being.

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Taken from the book Mini Size Me – The Raw Yoga Revolution“Let me share my vision with you; I see the world without sickness, sorrow or mental disturbances in which we are living in perfect balance and abundant health and harmony.” Dr Ann Wigmore Phd (Co-Founder of the Hippocrates Institute)I couldn’t of said that better myself. I, too share this vision, and I hope that at the end of reading this article , you may be inspired to actually taste this experience for yourselves.So how do you feel right now? Take a few minutes to close your eyes and tune in to your body with a few breaths. Allow yourself to sense how you truly feel. Do you feel a lively and vibrant superhero?  Or a lethargic, tired and heavy frump that is low on energy, or maybe you are just somewhere in between? If your answer is Superhero, it’s likely that you have already taken steps towards aligning your diet with an intake of sun-filled, energy-drenched fresh green nutrition. Which is an excellent start!   But if the answer is frump, there is no need to despair.  This is where a raw food diet will deliver the medicine, the methods and the manifestation that you require to step into the YOU, that you know is inside, just bursting to get out.If on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = zero energy, while 10 = superhero) you feel about 6 or less, then a raw food diet will shake your foundations  and raise your rafters into a whole, new, fresh level of vitality and health. At the very least you could gain a few more super powers through this super improved diet.So what is a raw foods diet and why would you make an effort?  What are the benefits? Can I still have a take away on Saturdays? The optimum choice would be no. But wouldn’t you like to be free from the desire for it, if you knew it delivers you no favors?  Read on to find out the expanded benefits of a raw lifestyle.Firstly, the raw lifestyle is a great choice for all those out there who know that inside each of us is a seed of massive life force, and want to tap into it. Layers of disbeliefs, mental blockages, emotional pains, combined with poor nutrition are preventing the full ignition of your life and transformation into Superb Health.I see raw foods as the best available fuel for the fire of your life. So what are Raw Foods?Lets jump right in and go exploring.Access Exceptional EnergyOur average diet is food diminished by cooking and cut short of the essential enzymes for healthy digestion. Raw foods are nature’s healers, flooded with sunlight, filled to brim with minerals and bountiful with active enzymes. These foods are still alive! Please re-read that sentence.  You will be eating food that contains abundant energy within its cellular structure and growing rich with the vital life force known as ‘prana,’ the fuel source of all living things.   Could you say the same for the frozen pizza at the back of the fridge, or perhaps a pot noodle? That is why, when on a raw foods diet nothing is heated beyond 37 degrees, which is the same temperature as our bodies.  Above 37 degrees, you will start to kill off all enzyme activity, and deplete the life-force within the food.  We need to eat this food while it is bursting with life.  It is at this stage that we soak up the life-force from the food to harness its qualities and send it around our bodies.  Rather than siphon our own internal energy to digest the already ‘dead’ food.When we say dead food, we are referring to the standard cooked diet that usually depletes our energy, ultimately resulting in disease and impaired old age.  Some examples of raw foods are fresh fruit and vegetables, that are ideally grown in your own garden. Also within this diet there are sprouted foods (alfalfa and mung beans) nuts, seeds, seaweeds and now the ever popular ‘superfoods’.  Hippocrates, an ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of modern medicine, sums up the benefits beautifully: “So let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.” Upping your intake of raw is choosing radiant life!Return to NatureA raw lifestyle is a move towards eating as nature intended. Raw foods are foods in their natural unprocessed state, un-treated with heat to prepare them for eating.  Today, so many of our food (fuel) sources are heavily processed, filled with chemicals and soaked in sugar. These foods lead to addictions, dependencies and cravings. What many people do not understand is that disease incubates over time. If, on a daily basis we continue to consume un-natural foods,  we are supporting a future of disease rather than a future of health. Raw plant prana is nature’s gift for rejuvenation. Reduction of Excess FatPeople are often interested in raw plant foods for its massive weight loss potential, as there are many recorded accounts of stunning physical transformations when going  ‘Raw’.  David Wolfe, one of the world’s leading authorities on Raw Foods says: “No amount of raw plant food is fattening. Only cooked food is fattening.”  Does this mean bland and unsatisfying food? Not at all!  You couldn’t be further from the truth.  The great news is that some raw fats e.g. avocados can actually help excess weight dissolve. Plus, by embarking on a natural raw plant lifestyle,  any weight that is lost, will stay off,  as nature returns you to the true weight and shape for you.Brilliant Skin and Great Long LifeThe benefits of going raw and staying raw are  endless! You’ll enjoy a clear and glowing complexion, bright shiny eyes, increased libido and beautiful, lustrous hair and nails. People who have experienced acne have found that detoxifying their diet brings dramatic improvements including fewer blemishes.   All who go ‘raw’ will have stunning skin and hair.  Try it and see for yourself.  In today’s western world, the average age expectancy for males is 65,  70 for females, but there is endless evidence to show that a raw diet can greatly extend your lifespan. Dr. Howell a world renown Nutritionist , states that: “Humans eating an enzyme-less diet use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in lavish secretions of the pancreas and other organs, resulting in a short lifespan 65 years rather than 100 or more.”Every living being has a fixed enzyme potential which can be prematurely exhausted in a large way through eating cooked and processed foods.  Raw plant foods come complete with such massive amounts of live enzymes that you don’t need to use up your “enzyme store” to digest them.  We will talk about enzymes later.Thorough Body and Mind DetoxBy going raw you give your body the best chance to offload all those toxins created over years of a cooked, processed diet and stressful living. What we eat profoundly affects the way we think, feel and behave. Life shifts come from changes within. When you take in only pure, natural and healthy foods, you begin to glow within and without. To quote David Wolfe  “We are not really human beings, we are human becomings, because we are constantly becoming more.” A raw food diet can kick start  ‘becoming more’, more wonderful, more physical and much more mental transformation.The Bliss of BalanceTake a simple and easy initial step towards raw foods by supplementing one of your daily meals with a dark green leafy salad and a tasty dressing.  This book promotes the concept that through adding delicious raw alternatives gradually to a standard cooked diet. Both your body and mind will naturally realize the benefits of raw plant foods and develop a preference for these. As you introduce more raw nourishment, you will notice increased life focus, heightened sensory awareness and a greater zest and drive for life.If your idea of Raw is lettuce, tomatoes and a bit of cucumber you are about to be hugely surprised. Learning about raw cuisine is an expansive and fun journey of creativity and experimentation.  Before long, you will be introducing raw nourishment for the healing and vitality of your friends and family. Seeds of ChangeAn optimum raw diet contains a high percentage of sprouted seeds.  Seeds are often seen as symbols of a powerful and vibrant potential for good reason! If you consume the powerful energy of a plant-in-the-making, this high enzyme  vibrancy  transforms into positive fuel  for your present and future  abundant health. The evidence is clear, take a cooked almond seed, plant it in the ground can a tree grow? No way.  Plant a sprouted seed and here you have the potential of an almond tree! Our bodies are so blessed with the prana of living foods.AcidificationAs we began our journey into a raw foods diet we discovered some startling facts and information:? Fat is an over acidification of the body? Fat is saving your life? Fat is a response from the body to an alarming over-acidic condition!Through the absorption of raw foods only we began to understand that we were changing our bodies from acidic into alkaline. This is the first process that kicks in when beginning a raw diet. We need to understand that the body creates fat cells to take away acid from the vital organs. All the acid that has been stored in your fat cells in your body begins to break down and is passed out through all elimination points (bowels, kidney, skin, lungs and nose).  This acid has come from meat, fish, yeast, mushrooms/fungi, (and the waste products of these living organisms) tea, coffee, dairy, alcohol, tobacco and wheat being the main culprits.We realised that we were ingesting the energy from these living fruits and vegetables to restore our whole being.  Our diet was feeding us energy, not depleting it.  We were absorbing the vital life force present in our foods.  This added energy jumpstarted the natural detoxing period that blessedly comes from this Raw Nutrition Diet.We began to experience the detox zone as the acid began to come out. To assist with this vital and necessary phase we began weekly coffee enemas, which we preformed separately in the solitude of our bathroom! Detoxing can reveal itself as spots, colds, lethargy, aches and pains within the body, emotional outbursts, mood swings and sometimes zero energy.We began noticing that the detoxing came in waves, it certainly was not linear.After 6 months we noticed that the sugar cravings had subsided, the urge for coffee and bread didn’t turn us crazy anymore and that we were now sold on this way of life and hungered for more experiments and experiences into how far this supreme radiant health could evolve into.So you have to ask yourself  “How do you truly feel?” What is keeping you from experiencing the lean, healthy and truly energetic body that you deserve?  Are you content to continue feeling lethargic, uncreative and halfhearted in your passions?I suspect not….And neither were we!Benefits of a Raw Food Diet? Increased Vitality? Less sleep required? Shining skin and eyes? Rebuilding your body’s tissues and inner structure? Inherent powers, prime animal instincts and responses? Growth into new direction within your life? Naturalise and neutralise your body? Strips away chemicals and toxins within your body? It compels you to live naturally and in harmony with the Earth? No physical waste – packaging, bones, shells, – only compost!? Pulls acid out of your cellular system? Peels off excessive fat and weight? Cleans your circulatory system? Boost energy in all your inner organs? Balances your hormonal levelsWe are gifted with the intelligence and power to make positive nutritional choices. Too often, we just don’t know how abundant, varied and delicious our food choices could be, leading to choices made through incomplete awareness. Mini Size Me presents you with great trade-ups in food choice and quality that is lush, fresh and fun.The Downside of a Raw LifestyleI have been raw for almost 4 years now, and I can honestly say I have had no bodily reaction to this way of life.  Yes I experienced detoxing at the initial stages and of course, that was a challenging phase to pass through, but the pros massively outweigh the cons.I have only ever discovered 2 main areas of the Raw Challenge:I understand that some people experience coldness in their bodies, and often feel they can’t stay on a raw diet, once the summer has passed.  However, the Director of Lotus Healing in London, Guru Dharam Singh, has advised me that there are certain Chinese herbs that can boost the kidney and spleen energy to prevent one from feeling cold.I have been advising extra chillis, garlic, ginger and cinnamon to boost the internal heat that is felt inside.  Also by boosting the amounts of fats in your diet, you will insulate your internal heat, and keep the cold out as you enter the winter months.The biggest challenge to overcome is naturally the reaction you get from other people who are not raw.  My goodness, you have to be prepared for this one!  It’s quite something how other people react.  Until one is well versed in the benefits of raw, it can be quite a concept to grasp.  Our conditioning is so strong in the belief that we must eat cooked foods that anything else simply is NOT RIGHT.  And that’s about the size of it, when questioned why people don’t believe in a raw foods lifestyle, they simply can’t actually put a finger on a very strong or concrete point.The older generation (parents), really don’t get the idea at first!  My parents particularly my mother, felt I was endangering my health, and she was watching very carefully to see whether her daughter was only to waste away.  Waste away, you got to be joking!  Radiantly bloom into life was the result.But it was difficulty being at home and maintaining a raw regime.  It was a daily chore to redefine my choices and myself.  But over time she came round, and now she looks on and agrees, yes there is a tremendous amount of sense to eating raw.  I have actually overheard her speaking with her friends.  “She only eats salads, and only twice a day, but look at her she obviously knows what she is doing!”With time and as people begin to see and feel the changes within you, they will come round and not only that, they will be curious to find out more.This article has been taken from the soon to be released raw yogic book “Mini Size Me – A Yoga and Nutritional approach to achieve outstanding Health and Vibrancy ”, written by Siri Datta and Duncan Campbell.You can begin a 40-day Raw Food Programme with Siri Datta’s & Duncan’s expert guidance and support.  They will encourage and inspire you to “keep up” all through an online coaching forum.  Alongside raw foods, she will also provide you with a yoga programme tailor made for your type.  Mini Size Me, is the online programme that has sent 1000’s of people soaring to beautiful and radiant levels of confidence and enhanced enchantment.Mini Size Me, also offers 3-day, 7-day, 21-day programmes alongside the Melon Cleanse and the Women’s Moon Cycle.Email Siri Datta on minisizeme23@yahoo.co.uk or call 01935 423 466

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However, vegetarian diets may be unhealthy if they do not contain important nutrients. There are four types of vegetarian diets. The vegan diet includes fruits, grains, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The lacto-vegetarian diet also includes cheese and dairy products beside the foods from the vegan diet. The ovo-lacto-vegetarian includes eggs too. The semi-vegetarian diet does not allow red meat but permits chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

The most important nutrients for a vegetarian diet are proteins, iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc. Dieters need protein because they provide essential amino acids that give energy. Good protein sources for vegetarian dieters are vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy, and seeds.

Iron is important for vegetarians because they show a higher risk for iron deficiency than non-vegetarians. Foods like spinach, dried fruits, brewer`s yeast, dried beans, or enriched products are sources of iron. Vitamin B-12 comes from animal sources only but may be found in fortified breakfast cereals, vitamin supplements, or soy beverages.

Vegans who do not get enough sunlight should get vitamin D supplements. Calcium is better retained and absorbed by vegetarians than non-vegetarians. That`s why they need spinach, broccoli, soybean products, or kale.

Vegetarian dieters may take zinc from grains, vegetables, nuts, and shellfish. To read the rest of this article, go to Project Weight Loss, an online weight loss community featuring calorie counter, carbs counter, BMI calculator, diet planner, workout planner and other weight loss tools.

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